


Passage (Teaser)

by Echelon



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Original Pokemon Trainer - Freeform, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 22:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2000979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echelon/pseuds/Echelon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bryce Gage is a social pariah in Santalune City. His crime? Being the only boy in town without a Pokémon. Bullied at school, misunderstood by his own father, it seems that there is no hope for Bryce. That changes one day, and while he doesn't know it now, it will change his life forever. </p>
<p>(Psuedo-adaptation of Pokémon X/Y; may borrow elements from the Pokémon Anime series)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Passage (Teaser)

Pokémon; the world is filled with them, and we as humans live among them. Most Pokémon live in the wild, but a lot also live alongside humans. Some are kept as pets living peacefully, while others are trained by so-called Pokémon trainers, constantly brawling against each other in both events and recreationally. Throughout the world there are training gyms for young Pokémon trainers to test their mettle against the gym leaders. Most have their Pokémon as young as six years old, but some often wait until they’re older, but not much older. It wasn’t uncommon for young trainers to begin their journeys at ten years old. After all, the story of a boy named Red in the Kanto region told that he started at eleven years old, and had surged through the gyms and the Pokémon League in that region in less than a year. Ever since then he traveled the world to participate in various events. Battling against Red’s Pokémon is a great honor.

But this isn’t about Red. I live in the Kalos region, a place of fancy pastries and flamboyant fashions. My name is Bryce Gage, and I’m now twenty-two years old…and up until I was sixteen, I actually had no Pokémon, which made me quite the pariah in my town, and it was something that I was always constantly reminded of by everyone my age. I was raised in Santalune City, and I watched trainer after trainer come to our local gym and challenge the Santalune Gym leader, Viola, and her Bug-type Pokémon. I saw many failures and many successes, but I was always a spectator. Lumiose City, our capital, was also nearby, and had frequent Pokémon tournaments, and all were televised. I was always a spectator.

The reasons why I had no Pokémon aren’t all that complicated, but it is quite a story. I always wanted a Pokémon, because I always wanted a friend. Having no Pokémon made me virtually “unfriendable.” I was no stranger to Pokémon; my father has two of them as a matter of fact, but I was practically forbidden to get one of my own. Why is that so? And how did I finally get one so late in my childhood? Well, you better sit down. It’s quite the journey.

**SAVE 1: Riolu**  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My mother died when I was born, and it sent my father into quite a spiral of depression. Despite that, he tried very hard to take care of me. I do well in school—when I’m not being bullied that is—and had a great home, but I still had no Pokémon. I mentioned before my father had two Pokémon: a Fletchinder and a Litleo. Dad always liked Fire-types. As I found out later, my mother had a Marill, but soon after she died my father gave it away. One less thing that reminded him of Mom, I suppose. Either way, the only Pokémon in my house were my Dad’s. I helped take care of them, but they were my father’s. As a kid, I found my Dad’s empty Poké Balls, but my Dad quickly took them away from me. As I grew up to an age where kids commonly owned Pokémon, I grew excited as I anticipated a time when I would finally get my own Pokémon.

That time never came. Year after year came, but my father would never allow me to get a Pokémon. Pretty soon, the others at school noticed that I didn’t have a Pokémon, despite all of my attempts to hide it. Some even threw empty Poké Balls at me, only adding to my shame. When I got home, all I could do was lock myself in my room and cry. When I told my Dad, he was angry about me being bullied on, but it did nothing to change my Dad’s mind. He still would not allow me to get a Pokémon. I remember this one night when I was fifteen when Dad and I had this huge argument.

“I don’t get it, Dad! Everyone my age has Pokémon, and I’m the only one in town that has nothing, probably even the only one between Vaniville Town and Lumiose City!”

“Don’t get that tone with me, young man!”

“But it’s true! Even six-year-olds have Pokémon.”

“Because their parents thought they were ready to handle Pokémon; I disagree. You see them throwing their Poké Balls around as if they were toys, constantly butting heads with other Pokémon. I won’t allow my only son to throw their Pokémon around like that, constantly fighting each other, not respecting their Pokémon.”

“Dad, you seen me take care of your own Pokémon. I take care of them with respect because I know they aren’t tools for fighting. And besides, Viola at the gym takes great care of her Pokémon, even if she sends them to fight trainer after trainer.”

“Don’t get me started on Pokémon trainers and gym leaders, Bryce. Each trainer dreams of training hundreds of Pokémon to battle to win tournaments or to become Pokémon League Champion, but so many trainers fall flat on their face going home in utter defeat. And for what, status? I’ve never seen people give up so much for something that they could lose the very next battle.”

“Well…I don’t care about facing the gyms or battling. I just want my own Pokémon!”

“And that’s why you can’t have one. You want one for all the wrong reasons!”

“What do you mean?”

“You know you want one just so you can fit in with the other kids, and even more significantly, to keep kids from bullying you. If you can’t stand up for yourself, you have no right to put a Pokémon through the torment of a weak trainer.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Life isn’t fair, Bryce, but the facts are facts. If you cannot stand up for yourself, a Pokémon cannot stand up for you ever!”

“So that’s it then? Am I never to have my own Pokémon?!” 

“Only you can decide that.”

I stormed off to my room and locked myself in. I was so furious that I couldn’t see straight. I was more than ready to hate my dad for the rest of my life. I was so mad that I didn’t see Fletchinder perch in my window wondering what the racket was all about. Seeing her there, I just snapped. 

“What are you looking at, you glorified sparrow?! You’re not my Pokémon; you don’t have the right to glower at me like that!” Not thinking, I threw a book at it. 

I don’t know how long we were at the Pokémon Center that night, but what I did know was that I deserved the grounding I got. Fletchinder suffered a broken wing. Dad had heard the fall and quickly got the Poké Ball to safely get her to the Pokémon Center. Dad didn’t say a word while we were there, but his silence was unbearable. All I kept thinking was, _“Why didn’t she dodge it? Why did I throw the book? Why doesn’t Dad say anything?”_

It was late when the Pokémon Center staff notified us that Fletchinder had recovered and was ready to go. When we got home, Dad said in a low voice that I was grounded for a month. To be honest, the worst punishment was the one Fletchinder gave me. I still remember the scratches I got on my arms when I replaced her feed. When patching me up, Dad reminded me that I was getting what I deserved for punishing her when all she was doing was being curious. Some of the kids heard about what happened, and the taunts escalated. One even sent his Pokémon—a Pikachu—to give me a few jolts, calling me “Pokémon Killer.” 

It only got worse, and even after my grounding was lifted, I didn’t ever want to go back to school again. A year passed and now I was sixteen. I had all but given up on the chance of ever having my own Pokémon. The taunts continued, and my Dad would not budge. When my Dad left for some business in Lumiose City, I spent some time outside the city along Route 22, the Détourner Way. It’s a popular area for young Pokémon owners because it was populated with wild Pokémon and was in sight of the entrance to Victory Road, which led up to Pokémon League at the top of the mountain. I sat there looking up at the mountain, always wondering if I would ever get the chance to climb that mountain. I knew I would need to get the eight badges from the gyms, and even if I had a Pokémon, it would more than likely take more than just one. I had seen many trainers go in with the maximum number of six Pokémon and still lose. I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to go through that whole process. 

I made sure to keep my distance from the other trainers frolicking through the tall grass, and I could see the Pokémon stirring about in the grass. All I wanted was some time alone, and not have some trainers remind me I still don’t have a Pokémon. As the sun set in the west the trainers moved along, leaving me alone on the route, which I was very grateful. I knew my peace would be short-lived; I had to get home and take care of the Pokémon, not to mention that it wasn’t a good idea to be out during the night. Wild Pokémon were often more aggressive at night. However, I really wanted to see more of the Pokémon out in the wild. I had to wonder; Pokémon had been living alone in the wild long before the idea that they could be captured and coexist with humans. I wonder what I could learn from that since I had no Pokémon. Perhaps I could learn how to be independent from Pokémon? How could I do that? Pokémon in the wild are isolated, with notable exceptions. If I needed to be independent from Pokémon, would I really need to isolate myself from humans? I didn’t find that appealing. 

I suddenly heard some rustling in the bushes about fifty feet away. I know, that’s pretty far, but when a huge flock of Spearow start ransacking whatever is inside, you hear it. That in itself was odd; Spearow don’t usually flock this far from the mountain in this region. Granted, Spearow aren’t particularly bright birds, but given their aggressive nature and their tendency to fly in flocks, I’m not going to be the person to tell them that. Then something leaped out of the bushes, and the Spearow gave chase. I don’t know why I stood up and walked over; I just did it. Whatever the Spearow were attacking, it was trying to get away. I ran towards them, screaming “Get lost, you buzzards! Get out of here!” 

Like I said, Spearow aren’t that bright. They scattered as if their target turned into an Arbok. As I came upon what they were attacking, I could see that it was a baby Pokémon, and not just any Pokémon, but a Riolu. I couldn’t believe it. Riolu are rare, even in this part of Kalos, and to see a baby alone was even stranger. Just the same, it had been badly hurt against the swarm of Spearow, and I knew that it needed help and fast. Whipping off my jacket, I laid it down on the ground and moved the poor Riolu gingerly on top of it. Wrapping it up gently but quickly, my mind buzzed at what I needed to do. This poor Riolu needed help, and was likely on the verge of fainting. Without a Poké Ball, this poor thing wouldn’t have the advantage of being put into stasis. I had no choice but make back for town and to the Pokémon Center. 

I ran as fast as I could towards the Pokémon Center, hoping that a swarm of Spearow decided not to come back for seconds. The sun was already too low in the sky, and it was not a good idea to venture out of the city at night without a Pokémon…one that wasn’t ripped up by Spearow anyway. Thankfully, I had not been too far from town, and was able to reach it before the light was completely gone from the sky. I still didn’t stop; even though my sides were cramping up. It seemed like forever, but I finally stumbled into the Pokémon Center, burst in more like. My rude entrance attracted everyone’s attention in the waiting room, but I didn’t care. I found Joy at the counter, whose usually saccharine personality seemed to dilute itself instantly as soon as she saw me. “Jason!” her high voice exclaimed. “What’s wrong? You look like you ran away from a rampaging Rhyhorn. 

I tried to speak eloquently, but with my lungs trying to drink the air as fast as I could talk, I had to make due with “Found…Pokémon…hurt…help…” My hands fumbled around the folds of my jacket, which then revealed the bloodied Riolu, which was barely breathing. Joy was instantly in business; she rounded up the nearest Wigglytuff Nurses to get a stretcher and move the Riolu to the back room for emergency treatment. All I could do was stare and hope the poor thing was all right. I had no reason to worry, really. The Pokémon Center was full of professionals that could help any Pokémon from whatever ailment it had. Granted, the easiest way was by placing the Pokémon in their respective Poké Balls and placing them in the healing stations, but they still did a good job with Pokémon that come outside their Poké Balls. Just the same, I still felt horrible for the poor thing.

I’ve been told that I pace like a caged Arcanine when I get nervous, although Arcanine are very rare in this part of the world, so I can’t imagine how someone in this town would know that. The point I’m trying to make was that it’s apparently nerve-wracking for those unfortunate to watch it. Just so people would stop staring at me, I ventured outback of the center to the empty practice field. Usually in the day, Pokémon trainers use this spot as a sparring area for younger Pokémon. That way, if any of their Pokémon get badly hurt, they can go quickly to the center and have them taken care of. No one was out here now, so it was just me and the obnoxious overhead lights that illuminated the field. 

As I sat on the adjacent benches, my mind was left to wonder what kind of a mess I stepped into this time. I had just rescued a Riolu from a flock of mad Spearow. Kudos to me. Now what? What was going to happen to that Riolu after it was taken care of? We couldn’t just dump it back where we found it, could we? Where was its mother? Could we even find its mother? Another thought came to me: what if the Riolu didn’t want to leave? What if Joy tried to give the Pokémon to me? The thought thrilled me and terrified me at the same time. This was my big chance to have a Pokémon of my own, and I could finally be left alone from the jerks at school! On the other hand, what would my Dad say and think when he saw me with him? I felt my insides freeze; I would be dead upon dead. What the heck was I going to do? 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Pokémon Killer.”

All of my panicked thoughts evaporated in the face of a more immediate problem, and in the form of one of the biggest jerks at school: Jacques, a.k.a. Jack. He also was the guy who had that Pikachu that was fond of zapping me right in the patootie. I certainly wasn’t in the mood to play games with Jack—not that I ever was, but you get the idea. “That handle is getting really old, Jack!” 

Jack sneered. “Whatever, Killer. Talk to me again when your Pop’s Fletchinder doesn’t try to cut you.”

I could feel the capillaries in my temples trying to burst. “That was an accident, and you know it!”

“Tch, whatever,” Jack said, his face seemingly frozen in his smirk. “You know the old saying: you tend to despise the thing you can’t have.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood up, even though I knew I was in for a load of hurt. “I don’t despise Pokémon! Just you wait, I will get a Pokémon!”

Jack merely smiled. “Yeah, maybe in like twenty years.”

That was all it took. I raised a fist and was about to swing. He was waiting for that. He withdrew a Poké Ball and threw it right at my face. It knocked me flat on my tail, and the Poké Ball burst open and out came his Pikachu. Before I could even get up, he yelled. “Teach him a lesson, Pikachu! Use Thunder Shock!”

I didn’t see it coming. All I felt was like I was being electrocuted. This wasn’t the first time Jack sic’d his Pikachu on me, but it didn’t hurt any less. The pain stopped and I just lay there, feeling horrible. 

Jack laughed. “Too easy. You know, it’s actually kind of funny to see you squirm like that.”

I managed to pick my head up, and cast a murderous glance at Jack. “No matter how many times you do that, it won’t change my mind!”

“That’s good, because I kind of like this little game. Again, Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!”

I was helpless against Pikachu’s electric wrath, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder what Pikachu was thinking while he was obeying Jack’s commands. Pikachu, like any Pokémon, generally don’t like attacking people directly unless they are wild Pokémon. Jack seemed oblivious to that fact…or was ignoring it. I lay still again, feeling like ash. I was beginning to hope that Jack would soon get tired and leave me alone. 

Jack only laughed. “Man, this is more fun than I thought. You know, I always wanted to know how many times it would take for Pikachu to zap you until you wet yourself.”

If I could have frozen any more than I already was, I would have been. It suddenly all became clear. Ever since he started bullying me, even before the thing with Fletchinder, he had been out to make me feel miserable, but he never went too far. It wasn’t because he was just playing; it was because people were watching. Granted, the school didn’t do much to keep him off my back, but they would have never allowed him to go so far as to seriously hurt me. This time, however, we were all alone. There was no one else out here except me, him and Pikachu. And I was powerless to stop him…or was I?

What was I doing? Was I going to just let him rule my life? Even without a Pikachu, he had neither right nor privilege to do this to me. I gingerly got my legs and my arms underneath me and slowly got up, my muscles quivering from the electric shocks they’ve had to deal with. “Jack, if you think I’m going to just up and let you do that to me…even without a Pokémon of my own…” My eyes shot open, and at once I could see the smile get wiped off his face. Even Pikachu looked surprised, if not a little sorry. “…you’ve got another thing coming to you!” I brought a fist back to myself. “Maybe I will never have a Pokémon, but that doesn’t mean I will let you ruin my life because you think it’s funny. You want to prove yourself a guy? Then fight me without Pikachu!” 

Jack stared at me in furious silence, and Pikachu himself could only look back and forth at Jack and me. Truth be told, I had a bad feeling that my little moment of pride here wouldn’t do me a lick of good, but at least my conscious would be clear. I let myself take the taunts and the torments for too long, and it was time that I put a stop to them. Who knows? Maybe because I was so weak when I was younger was one reason why Dad wouldn’t let me have a Pokémon. Perhaps I still had some growing up to do. Either way, I was going to stand here and take it like a man.

Finally, Jack’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You know something, Killer? I don’t care what you think! Pikachu, use Thunder Shock again!” 

For the briefest of moments, I saw a bit of hesitation in Pikachu’s eyes. I knew it; Pikachu didn’t want to do this any more than I did. However, he was too loyal to Jack. I saw the jolts build in his cheeks as he prepared to zap me.

Suddenly, a blur of blue tackled him from the side and sent him into the bushes. None of us knew what happened right away; Jack was shocked to see his Pikachu taken out like a punching bag. Finally, I dared to look down at whatever took Pikachu out, and nearly fell on my rear. It was the Riolu, all cleaned up and ready to go. My mind just froze. What was he doing out here? How did he even know where I was? Was he even looking for me?

Jack finally found his tongue. “You little piece of garbage! How dare you?” He called out to the bushes. “Pikachu, get back here!” 

At once, Pikachu came out of the bushes and faced me…well us…once again. All I could do was wonder what the Riolu was doing. Was it really going to fight Pikachu on my behalf? I looked down at it, and saw that it had firmly placed itself between me and Jack, and was growling in the most menacing way it could muster. Even as a baby, a Riolu growling was something to be respected.

“You’ll pay for that! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!” 

Pikachu shook itself out of his stupor and charged at Riolu, who didn’t move. My mind screamed at it to do something, but why? Riolu wasn’t my Pokémon! Why should I tell it what to do?

Riolu dodged just at the last second and then slammed a fist into Pikachu’s face, sending it to the ground. Jack was livid. “What are you doing, Pikachu? Use Thunder Shock!” 

Pikachu got right up and unleashed a powerful electric blast.

“Riolu, dodge it!” I screamed without meaning to. 

To my surprise, Riolu did exactly what I said, and leaped away. Again, I was shocked, so to speak. Even Jack was stunned. “W-what is this? Since when did you have a Pokémon?!”

That shook me out of my own shock, and I nearly said that he wasn’t mine, but something bit my tongue. Riolu did exactly what I said and quickly. Riolu came to my defense right after it was attacked ruthlessly by a flow of Spearow. Could it really be? 

Suddenly, Riolu turned his head just enough to make eye contact with me. I was a bit taken aback, but then something clicked between us; I couldn’t explain it at the time, but that was the time that I suddenly felt like I could take on the world, and that Riolu would be my partner through it all. I smiled back and then faced Jack. “I don’t have to tell you about when I finally got a Pokémon. All you have to know is that I’m going to school you! Riolu, use Quick Attack!”

Riolu shot forward as if he was the wind and smashed a fist into Pikachu’s face, which sent him back. That attack woke Jack up. “Fine, have it your way, Killer!”

Riolu growled at hearing that; he was taking offense at that?

“Pikachu, strike back with Electro Ball!”

“Riolu, look out!” I called.

Pikachu blasted a solid sphere of ball lightning, and Riolu couldn’t get out of the way fast enough. He was blasted right back to my feet, momentarily stunned. “Are you ok?”

His eyes slid open; he looked dazed briefly, but then they firmed up and he was back on his feet. I felt relieved and rejuvenated. “All right, good job!”

“Tch,” Jack scoffed. “Don’t think you’ll be so lucky! Quick Attack!”

“Brace yourself, Riolu.”

He rose up his fists. Pikachu darted forward and slammed into Riolu. This was it. “All right, Riolu! Counter!”

It was like Riolu’s eyes just lit up. Like lightning, he put all of his power into a punch that sent Pikachu flying right back to Jack.”

“Way to go, Riolu!” 

Suddenly, Riolu fell to his knees, and I could see small tendrils of electricity shoot off from him one in a while. “Riolu! Are you ok?”

“Ha!” Jack said, his cocky smile back. “Pikachu can paralyze Pokémon if they attack him directly! That baby is done for now! Use Electro Ball again!” Pikachu shot forward another ball of lightning.

Gritting my teeth, I said. “Hold on, Riolu! Endure it!” 

The ball hit Riolu full force, blast a cloud of dust that covered both of them. The wind finally blew the dust away, and I saw both Pikachu and Riolu standing unmoving. I didn’t dare to breathe as Riolu stayed very still. Suddenly, he uncrossed his arms. He survived! “Good job, Riolu!”  
The smile was gone again from Jack’s face. “You haven’t won yet, Killer! He’s almost down for the count and I’m finishing this now! One last Quick Attack, Pikachu!” 

Pikachu charged forward towards Riolu. At that last moment, I knew I needed to act fast. “Riolu, one last Quick Attack!”

Riolu snapped up and charged at Pikachu. It would be close. They both smashed into each other, and the clash sent the dust flying again. Both Jack and I could only wait for the dust to settle. It took even longer this time around, but it finally happened. There stood Riolu and Pikachu frozen in contact, neither moving nor breathing. I could feel my heart in my ears, and I hoped Riolu landed the blow fast enough. 

Finally, Pikachu slumped to the ground, exhausted. Riolu stood standing. I felt a punch of joy hit me across the face. “Riolu, you did it!” I said.

Jack was flabbergasted as he saw Riolu relax and his Pikachu lay still. I ran forward to pick up Riolu and it was all I could do to keep myself from crushing the poor thing out of happiness. I couldn’t believe it. He won against Pikachu! He really did it!

“Y-y-you…” Jack said, his hand grasping the Poké Ball shaking as if he himself had been shocked by Pikachu. “Pikachu, come back!” he cried. Pikachu came rushing back into Jack’s Poké Ball. Lowering it, Jack fixed me with the most murderous glare. “You’ll pay for this, Killer! Next time we fight, that Pokémon won’t stand a chance! You hear me?! Not a chance!” With that, he took off into the night. 

I sighed, relieved that I managed to survive that bout with him. “I guess it was too much to expect that he’d be a good sport, huh Riolu?” 

Riolu growled weakly. Of course, the poor thing just took a nasty beating. I ran back to the Pokémon Center with Riolu in tow. Joy greeted me at the door. “Oh, there he is!” she said. “He took off from his bed and we’ve been trying to look for him! I’m glad you found him.”

“He took off?” I asked. “When did that happen?”

“Only about five or ten minutes ago.”

That was the same time I started the fight with Jack. Did Riolu somehow know that too? I would certainly have to get to know Riolu better, if I had the chance that is. “Well, here. He got into a nasty fight with a Pikachu.”

“Oh, the poor thing.” Joy took Riolu from my hands. “Looks like he held his own though.”

“That he did.”

As Riolu was taken back to the back room again, I sat in the waiting room trying to figure out everything that just happened. From what it looked like, Riolu had somehow known that I was in trouble and came to my rescue, even when he had been hurt himself and only just recovered. How could that be? Nearby, I saw an available PC. Maybe there were some answers there. 

“Looks like you’ve been in a bit of a mess…”

I turned around and saw a woman dressed in a white tank-top, a pair of green fatigues and hiking boots. Her wavy blond hair framed her face and the camera that hung from her neck. Everyone in Santalune City knew who this woman was. “Viola?” Sure enough, it was Viola, the Santalune City Gym Leader and accomplished photographer. 

“The one and only, and I must say, this is not the shot I expected to capture tonight. Glad I did though; this one’s a keeper.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Well, if it’s all the same to you, I didn’t really expect what happened tonight either.”

“I have found that some of my best pictures are the ones I just happen on. There’s a lot more life in each shutter-click.” Viola took a good look at me. “Hey, I remember you. You’re that one kid who didn’t have a Pokémon yet.” 

There was a time where I was always very annoyed that, but tonight, I didn’t feel that way at all. How did tonight change me so much? “Yeah, that’s me. Bryce Gage.”

“That’s right; I knew that was the name. So, where did you find that Riolu?”

“That’s a long story, Viola.”

“Each shot I take has more words than any book. Stories are nothing to me.”

“Well, if you insist…”

I sat with Viola for a good twenty minutes reliving the last couple hours of the night, from sitting alone on the Détourner Way to having a Pokémon battle with Jack. I also expressed my overall confusion about the whole thing, especially the part about Riolu apparently knowing exactly when to come out. Even Viola found that peculiar, but didn’t have anything to offer as an explanation. 

“Bryce!” called Nurse Joy. 

I perked up. Nurse Joy had returned to the counter, and right in front of her was a rather expectant looking Riolu. I felt relieved that he was ok, and for the umpteenth time I wondered why I had gotten so close to Riolu all the sudden. 

“I’d like to thank you for waiting; your Riolu is back to being fighting fit. We hope to see you again soon!”

_My_ Riolu. It still didn’t feel real. “W-well, technically…” I rubbed the back of my head. “Technically, he’s not mine. I just found him, really.”

Joy gave a rather knowing smile. “I see you don’t know too much about Riolu.” 

I looked at Riolu whose gaze had never left me. To be honest, I didn’t know much about any Riolu, let alone why it would have any reason to do what it did at my behest tonight. “Frankly, no, I don’t.”

Closing her eyes, as if she was about to recite a well-rehearsed speech, she continued. “Riolu is the Emanation Pokémon, a Fighting-type Pokémon that boasts great strength, endurance and loyalty to its kin or Pokémon Trainers that possess trustworthiness. It can also sense the feelings of others using a power called Aura, but only in bursts or waves.” She opened her eyes. “If you are wondering why he decided to fight for you, Bryce, it would probably because you saved him. Riolu attach very well to trainers who are either strong in spirit or caring for others.”

I really had to work hard to make sure I caught everything Nurse Joy said; she was the kind of person who could say a lot in a short amount of time. It comes with having to process many Pokémon each day, I suppose. I happened to look down at Riolu again, and he still looked very expectant. It suddenly hit me: Riolu wasn’t just thankful for what I did for me; he wanted me to become his trainer. My thoughts all crashed together like a herd of Rhyhorn. Me? A trainer for a Riolu? I had been so longing to become a Pokémon trainer, and now that the opportunity has come, I freeze up. This is what I always wanted, and I’m hesitating? 

“Are you all right?” Joy said.

I snapped out of my train wreck of a mind. “Oh, uh…yeah…I just realized what Riolu wants here.” I reached over and pet Riolu’s head. The trill he made was enchanting. Then I frowned, “I just…I don’t know what my Dad’s going to do. He’s been the one who’s really been against me getting a Pokémon. He might freak if I bring home this Riolu…” 

For a long while Riolu and I just looked at each other. As we did, something just passed between us. I can’t really explain it, but it was like a fate thing. Despite my fears of my Dad and whatever else, in my deepest of hearts, I knew that Riolu was the Pokémon that I was meant to have. As I thought about it, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I needed Riolu as much as he needed me. I needed to convince Dad of that, and maybe if I just tell him about what happened tonight, he’ll understand. Perhaps this is what he was waiting for anyway. I can’t say, really. 

“…but I know that after tonight, I will not be able to imagine having any other Pokémon without this Riolu. I can’t explain it. We’re right for each other.”

I had not noticed that this whole time Viola had been taking shot after shot with her camera, capturing every moment. I did notice when she finally spoke up, after lowering her camera. “That’s the best sign you’ll ever have in knowing that you are ready to have a partner in your Pokémon. Granted, you could have always gotten one a few years back when you talked to the Professor in Lumiose City, but I have to say, this is probably the best shot I’ve had yet between a man and his Pokémon.”

I grinned sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed at the attention Viola was giving Riolu and me, but at the same time, her position as a Gym Leader made her words all the stronger. My smile then grew more warmly. “From you, that means something. Thanks, Viola.” Looking back at Riolu, who had a smile of his own, I then remembered. “There’s another small problem. I don’t have any Poké Balls to properly catch Riolu. If I took one of my Dad’s empty ones, he’d burn me alive, and with two Fire-type Pokémon in our house, he’d have no problem doing it.”

“Leave that to me,” Viola said. Reaching into her camera bag, she pulled out an all-white Poké Ball. “Here, you can have this one. I don’t do much Pokémon catching with Balls these days. I prefer to catch them in my viewfinder.”

Taking the Poké Ball out of her hands, I looked it over. “I’ve never seen a Poké Ball like this before. The only ones we have in our house are the red-and-white ones.”

“That’s a Premiere Ball,” Viola said. “You can get them at Poké Marts if you happen to buy ten Poké Balls in one go; once you do, you’ll get a Premiere Ball for free. I always found them tacky myself. White is not a good color for the camera.”

“A Premiere Ball?”

Joy chimed in. “Yes. It’s a ball that’s used to commemorate a certain occasion, although no one ever says what the occasion is. Still, this seems like a big occasion.”

I tumbled the Poké Ball in my hands, looking it over. Satisfied, I looked at Riolu. “You ready for this?”

Riolu made a noise like a high-pitched bark and nodded. I made a note to myself to study how much a Pokémon can understand human language. “Well, here we go!” I had studied enough about Pokémon catching to know that in order to catch a Pokémon, you needed to throw the Ball right at the Pokémon, and it had to hit. Since I was so close, I tossed the ball weakly, and it hit Riolu between the eyes. The Ball popped open and I saw Riolu get sucked right in, just before the Ball clamped shut, falling to the ground. 

I saw it twitch once rather violently. Was Riolu trying to get out? I began to wonder if it was a mistake to use the Ball. The ball twitched again, more weakly. I then remembered that all Pokémon did this when they were captured; defense mechanism. The Ball barely twitched a third time. I held my breath, hoping that it would work. A subtle click and a slight twitch heralded the good news: Riolu was secure inside the ball. Elated, I picked up the ball and held it in my hands. This was it; my first Pokémon! “Wow, for a second I thought he was going to get out of it.”

“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that it would work,” Joy said. “It’s obvious Riolu likes you enough to be caught by you. It was just a manner of making himself cozy.”

Bemusedly, I looked at the Ball in my hands. “I would love to hear how that worked on his end.” I then noticed my watch, and my eyes shot open. “Shoot! I need to get home! My Dad is going to call soon from Lumiose City!” I turned to run out the door, but balked. “Thank you, Viola and Joy! You two are amazing.” I ran for the door. I could hear their well wishes behind me as I raced for my house. During my entire run, my mind raced at how I was going to tell Dad about Riolu. Should I tell him tonight or when he gets back? What would he even say? 

I arrived home not too much later, and found Litleo trying to climb into his feed, while Fletchinder seemed to be watching quite bemusedly. Fletchinder looked at me as I came into the kitchen, and I could tell he still hadn’t quite forgiven me yet. Granted, he didn’t scratch me anymore, but he resigned to treating me more coldly, which is ironic if you remember that Fletchinder is a Fire sub-type. To my surprise, it perked up and then looked at the Poké Ball in my hand. Flying over, it tapped on the Poké Ball with its beak. Riolu in the ball shifted, and I felt the Ball move in my hand. Smiling, I said to Fletchinder, “Now now, Fletchinder, Riolu was taking a well-deserved nap. You shouldn’t have woke him like that.”

Fletchinder chirped curiously, ignoring what I had said. It was apparently interested in who was in the Ball. Sighing, I said, “Well, I suppose you would find out sooner or later.” I tossed the ball on the table. The ball popped open and Riolu beamed out of it. Riolu looked around at the table, and his eyes locked on the curious Fletchinder. Instantly, he was on guard. This spooked Fletchinder enough to lift off the table. 

“Whoa, back down, both of you!” I tried to get myself between them. “Riolu, every Pokémon you meet won’t attack you. I know he looks like the ones that attacked you before I came, but he’s not one, I swear.” I turned to Fletchinder. “And you, over-curious much? Grow some manners as well as some feathers.”

Fletchinder looked affronted, but perched on the back of the chair silently. Riolu eyed Fletchinder suspiciously, but obediently backed down. I had not considered what kind of friction these two could have between each other. After all, Riolu was just a baby, and probably thought all Flying-types were out to get him, especially since a whole flock of them tried to kill him. That’s something I’d have to be more careful of in the future. “Fletchinder, this is Riolu, the newest member of the family. He’s had a rough day.”

Fletchinder made a rather affronted chirp, and flew out of the room. I had to roll my eyes. Fletchinder has always been proud as an Unfezant trying to win a mate. Looking at Riolu, I noticed that he fixed his attention to the Litleo, who had quietly climbed onto the table without my noticing. He was curious as well, but showed more grace about it. Riolu even seemed more receptive as well. I would have to look into why later.

The tele-comm started ringing. My mind panicked a bit; it had to be Dad. Thinking quickly, I scooped up the Poké Ball and held it out. “Sorry, Riolu. I’m not ready for you to see the big man yet. Come back, Riolu!” Riolu was sucked back into the Ball, and I placed it out of view. I sat down in front of the tele-comm and pressed ANSWER. My dad’s face appeared on the screen. “Hello, Dad.”

Dad frowned. _“What happened to you?”_

Now I frowned. “What do you mean?”

_“You look like you were in a fight.”_

I suddenly remembered that I had to look pretty messed up after that round with Jack before Riolu intervened. I wiped my face, but I already knew that Dad would keep pressing. “Yeah…” I sighed. “Ran into Jack again today.”

Dad sighed. _“Haven’t I told you to stay home unless absolutely necessary when I’m away? It would definitely keep you out of trouble.”_

I couldn’t help but frown at that, but chose not to shoot back at that. “It’s complicated; I’ll explain later.”

Something about what I said made my Dad look at me funny. _“Is everything all right, son?”_

I should have known that my Dad would pick up something was wrong. I was never able to get anything by him as a kid, and that had never changed. “Just…the normal stuff.” My dad didn’t say anything for a while. I could tell that he was looking for some kind of tell I had that would betray what I was really thinking. I decided to head him off. “Look, Dad, when you get home…I do need to talk to you about something.”

That seemed to confirm my Dad’s suspicions. _“About tonight?”_

“Yeah, kind of.”

_“I see…”_ Dad said. _“Well, take care of yourself until I get back. For now, I suggest you stay home.”_

“Yes, sir.”

_“You know I love you, right?”_

“Yeah, Dad. I do.”

_“Ok, well, good night son. I’ll be back tomorrow.”_

“Yes, sir. Good night.”

Dad hung up on his side, and I sat still, trying to figure out the best way to tell Dad that I know had a Pokémon. Would he understand when he heard the entire story? What would he do if he didn’t approve? Would he force me to trade Riolu away? My heart wrenched at the thought, all confirming that Riolu and I were meant to be together. Dad would have to understand that. 

Reaching over, I picked up the Premiere Ball that contained Riolu. “Sorry about that, Riolu. Come out!”

The Ball popped open and out shot Riolu onto the floor, no worse for wear. In fact, he looked understanding. I couldn’t help but marvel at the connection we already had with each other. All I could hope that Dad would see it too. “So, Riolu, I would think you’re hungry after a fight like that, not to mention being healed twice. Feel like an Oran Berry?”

Riolu barked happily at the thought of it. 

“Good thing; you look a bit scrawny.”

Riolu made an indignant grunt. 

Soon enough, Riolu ate his fill and I knew that I needed to get to bed soon. Riolu watched me silently as I brushed my teeth and removed my contact lenses, and I could see him watching me. It was at that moment that I understood something else: Pokémon aren’t just pets, tools for battle, or even partner; they were our friends, and wanted to be a part of our lives as much as we wanted to be a part of theirs. Earlier that day I had wondered how the Pokémon lived without human interaction since they had been doing that eons before we did; maybe I don’t have to know. For all I know, wild Pokémon also wondered how life was with a human. Some people scoff at the notion, but I knew better: to call all Pokémon animals would be a gross miscarriage of justice. Granted, there were many Pokémon that could barely think about themselves much less anyone else, but many Pokémon—like Riolu—understood people like me. It was just another part of the puzzle of Pokémon.

I climbed into my bed, my mind simply spinning with the possibilities of what was going to happen to me now, both good and bad. It was so much that I feared I wasn’t going to sleep a wink. I was fretting so much that I didn’t notice Riolu climb up onto the bed and lay down on the foot of the bed did my mind finally stop spinning. As I looked at Riolu curled up and already snoozing away, everything just evaporated. I lay back down, finally relaxed. Riolu didn’t seem so worried about things; sure, he likely didn’t know any better, but ignorance is bliss. Just need to take things one step at a time, and the rest should fall into place. I finally drifted off before I realized it, and Riolu was by my side throughout the night. No matter what happened; Riolu would be there. Not once did I think about the kind of journey we were about to undergo the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is a small teaser of another project that bloomed the past few months ago. It won't be as ambitious as anything else I've done, but it's nice to go back to my roots and go with a first-person POV fanfic, only far better than the last one. Hope you enjoy!


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